GeForce GTX 950 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 950

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $141 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.7 vs 18.3 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Draws 90W instead of 200W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

2012

Why buy it

✅8.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
88.7% HIGHER MSRP
$300 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 18.3 vs 33.7 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌122.2% higher power demand at 200W vs 90W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (5,500 vs 5,357), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 950 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 950 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $141 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 83.8% (33.7 vs 18.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 950 vs Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire

The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 1 2012. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,500 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 950 scores 5,357 and the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire reaches 5,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 950 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 2,560 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	5,357	5,500+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2560+233%
Boost Clock	1188 MHz+32%	900 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 950 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 950 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire carries 4 GB. Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 106 GB/s (GeForce GTX 950) vs 153.6 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — a 44.9% advantage for the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 950 and 256-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	106 GB/s	153.6 GB/s x2+45%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit x2+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 950 draws 90W versus the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire's 200W — a 75.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 950) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
TDP	90W-55%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	202mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	59.5+116%	27.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 950 came in at $159, while the Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire launched at $300. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 950 was 47% cheaper ($141 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.7 (GeForce GTX 950) vs 18.3 (Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 950 offers 84.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 950 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 950	Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP	$159-47%	$300
Performance per Dollar	33.7+84%	18.3
Codename	GM206	Neptune CF
Release	August 20 2015	May 1 2012
Ranking	#425	#350

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